Questions

1. Your research question is “What are the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations? ”Select the source that would likely be more current for your topic.

A. A book published in 1998 about gaming on American Indian lands.

B. Pechanga. net, Indian gaming news on the internet.

2. Your research question is "What are the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations? Which database would be more likely to point you to articles relevant to your topic ？

A. Sociological abstracts

B. Biological abstracts

3. Your research question is What are the social benefits and abilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations? Which source would likely be more authoritative on your topic?

A. A peer-reviewed article published in UNLV Gaming Research Review

B. An article published in Sports Illustrated

4. Your research question is "What are the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations?” Which source is more likely to be accurate?

A. Employment statistics from a newsletter published by a grassroots organization opposed to gambling

B. Employment statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor website

5. Your research question is "What are the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations? Which source would more likely suit the purpose of your report?

A. Pechanga. net, Indian gaming news on the Internet

B. A peer-reviewed article published in UNLV Gaming Research & Review

Test Yourself!

6. Which of the following questions should you ask yourself when considering the relevance of a potential source?

A. Was the source published in the past five years?

B. Does the source add something new to your knowledge of the topic?

C. Is the source free of bias?

D. Is the author an established expert in the field?

7. In which type of research would currency be most important as you consider which sources to use?

A. Health Sciences/Medicine

B. Literature

C. History

D. Philosophy

8. Citing corroborating sources reinforces the __________of an article

A. accuracy

B. currency

C. relevance

D. purpose

9. In gathering data for your project about freedom of information conflicts in China, which resource will provide the most accurate and least biased information?

A. Chinese newspapers

B. American newspapers

C. The article” Status of Media” in China from the Encyclopedia of International Media and Communication.

D. An interview with your uncle who immigrated to the US from Tibet.

10. All of the following statements are true except one. Which statement is FALSE?

A. All research assignments require the most current information possible.

B. Internet resources are generally more current than books.

C. A web site should indicate the date it was last updated.

D. Reading a book that’s out of date can still add to your understanding of a subject.

11. A grass roots organization opposed to gambling would be a good source for accurate statistics to support your research on the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations.

A. True

B. False

Answers

1. A. Internet resources like Pechanga. net are generally more current than books; a website should indicate the date it was last updated. A book published in 1998 will not be as current as most websites, although it may provide good background information.

2. A. Sociological Abstracts indexes journals that focus on social consequences of human behavior, which is more relevant to your topic. Biological Abstracts indexes journals in the life sciences, which would not likely cover social aspects of your topic.

3. A. An article in a peer-reviewed journal is more likely to have been written by an expert and will have been evaluated by other experts before it is published. Writers for Sports lustrated are not likely to have expertise in social issues surrounding gambling.

4. B. The U.S. government is considered a reliable source for statistics. You can identify a government web site by the "gov at the end of the URL. A grass roots organization opposed to gambling use legitimate statistics but exclude those that don't support a specific agenda.

5. B. The title UNLV Gaming Research &Review is a clue that the journal is likely to publish studies related to issues surrounding gaming Pechanga. net would probably give you a handle on what's going on in the world of Indian gaming, but it would not provide scholarly research.

6. B. A source is relevant when it adds something new to your knowledge of the topic Relevance is important because you are expected to support your ideas with pertinent information.

7. A. When doing research in a field that changes quickly, like medicine or health, currency is especially important.

8. A. Citing corroborating sources is one way of reinforcing the accuracy of an article.

9. C

10. A

11. B. A grass roots organization opposed to gambling would not be a good source for accurate statistics to support your research on the social benefits and liabilities for tribes developing casinos on Indian reservations. A grass roots organization opposed to gambling may use legitimate statistics but exclude those that don't support a specific agenda.